If you’re feeling sluggish, uninspired, depressed or frequently exhausted, you might be suffering from low testosterone levels. While there is often a normal decrease in men as they age, it is important to maintain this essential hormone, since it can impact everything from your diet and your sex drive, to your mindset and beyond. If you’re especially worried, make an appointment with your physician to discuss treatments and solutions. However, if you want a natural boost, experts say exercise is a smart first-step solution. “Hormones are your body’s response to the environment around you and how you engage with it. When your muscles are stressed in a max effort manner your body views exercise as a fight for your life,” explains personal trainer and coach Brandon Mancine. “And when given time refuel and recover, the stress response system of the human anatomy releases a hormonal reaction to elicit growth, increased strength, and resilience so you can handle it better next time. Testosterone is a big part of this. This means you’ll be stronger, faster, more injury resistant, feel younger, and ahem, ‘perform better’ during extracurricular bedroom activities.”

Here are some ways you can supercharge your testosterone.

Testosterone release:

All types of exercise stimulate the release and production of testosterone but studies show that lifting weights and HIIT are a great combination that help increase testosterone. The best exercises to increase testosterone are the ones that utilize the body’s largest muscle groups. These exercises recruit a significant amount of muscle mass and studies show that this is the way to increase testosterone. Additionally, these exercises increase muscle mass which increases testosterone levels. To maximize levels, start with the big lifts and ideally do a total body workout three days per week. In between sets, add HiIT routines such as jump squats, jumping jacks, jogging in place and burpees.

Deadlift

Fitness trainer Miriam Amselem explains while nearly every type of exercise will stimulate the release and production of testosterone, some studies have indicated that lifting weights are among the most effective. This is because these types of movements utilize the body’s largest muscle groups, engaging a significant amount of mass. Since your back, core and legs are engaged with a dead lift, this go-to move is a smart place to begin your practice. She explains how to safely execute:

-Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

-Bend your hips back as you reach down and grasp a barbell or weight, with your hands outside of your knees.

-While keeping your lower back in a natural arch, drive your heels to the floor as you pull the bar and weights up along your shins, until you’re standing upright with your hips full extended, and the weights on your thighs.

-Repeat.

HIIT Sprints

As defined, high-intensity-interval-training is a form of movement where you exert your maximum amount of energy for short periods of time, followed by a slight rest, and cycle through. This trains your heart to reach an uncomfortable level and amps up your metabolism. But as Mancine explains, it also helps with testosterone production. Much like squats, this movement engages a large percentage of your muscle fibers, signaling a hormonal response. They’re also easy to execute on the go. “You can do them just about anywhere, and hill sprints add the load of your body weight, since you have to drive it up the hill, without having to put additional load on your body, with a weight,” he explains. He instructs on how to try it:

-Find a hill that will take you 15 seconds to a minute to sprint up.

-Sprint up the hill and then walk back down, starting at 70 percent of your effort and increase to make effort over the next three to four rounds.

-Cycle this movement for five to 20 minutes.

Back Squat

Also firing up several large muscle groups, this will not only help those hormones raise, but result in a strong backside, too. As with any movement, safety rules is important to follow, as you can easily injure yourself if you lift a weight that’s out of your skill set. To be extra diligent, consult a trainer or an expert before you give this one a go. Once you’re ready, Amselem instructs:

-Use a barbell on a power rack and set it at shoulder height.

-Stand in front of the barbell and grasp it with your hands at shoulder width, as you raise your elbows until your arms are parallel to the floor.

-Take the bar out of the rack and rest it on your upper back, ensuring your elbows stay up to help you balance the bar.

-Step back and set your feet at shoulder width with toes facing forward.

-Squat as low as you can and come back up.

-Repeat.

Bench Press

You’ll get plenty of multi-use benefits from this movement—from your abdominals to your biceps, as you finish off this move, Ameslem says. As a good beginner place to start, gradually add weight until you’re comfortable, making sure to never overstrain or push yourself too hard. To practice this testosterone-boosting move at the gym, follow her instructions:

-Use a chair to lay down, and then grasp the bar just outside of your shoulders.

-Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your chest, tucking your elbows at 45 degrees by your side.

-When the bar touches your chest, drive your feet into the floor and press the bar back up.

-Repeat.

Turkish Get Ups (TGUs)

Ever had a trainer encourage you to try the ‘power pose’ to swiftly improve your mood or confidence? Mancine says Turkish get-ups have a similar impact—but also improve your t-levels, too. “Holding a ‘superhero pose’ for as little as two minutes has a quick boost in testosterone and other hormones that positively affect our mood and outlook. The poor posture that is rampant in society today can have a cumulatively negative impact on hormone levels. TGUs are great for developing/maintaining great posture thereby helping keep levels up,” he notes. Here’s how to try it yourself:

-Lay flat on your back with your left arm out at 45 degrees on the floor. Your left leg should be flat, while your right arms could hold a weight straight up. Your right foot should be pulled in toward your buttocks, with your knee pointed upwards.

-Push up under the weight, coming up onto your left elbow, then your left hand.

-Plant your right foot and your left hand, as you sweep your left leg back to plant your left knee between them.

-Press up under the weight by lifting your torso up to a vertical position.

-This should put you lunging one arm in an overheard position.

-Stand up to the right leg.

-Then, reverse the steps until your back on the floor.

-Repeat.

Keep In Mind! These 5 Exercises Will Help Naturally Increase Testosterone in Men

Exercises That Naturally Increase Testosterone in Men

Lindsay Tigar

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If you’re feeling sluggish, uninspired, depressed or frequently exhausted, you might be suffering from low testosterone levels. While there is often a normal decrease in men as they age, it is important to maintain this essential hormone, since it can impact everything from your diet and your sex drive, to your mindset and beyond. If you’re especially worried, make an appointment with your physician to discuss treatments and solutions. However, if you want a natural boost, experts say exercise is a smart first-step solution. “Hormones are your body’s response to the environment around you and how you engage with it. When your muscles are stressed in a max effort manner your body views exercise as a fight for your life,” explains personal trainer and coach Brandon Mancine. “And when given time refuel and recover, the stress response system of the human anatomy releases a hormonal reaction to elicit growth, increased strength, and resilience so you can handle it better next time. Testosterone is a big part of this. This means you’ll be stronger, faster, more injury resistant, feel younger, and ahem, ‘perform better’ during extracurricular bedroom activities.”

Here are some ways you can supercharge your testosterone.

Testosterone release:

All types of exercise stimulate the release and production of testosterone but studies show that lifting weights and HIIT are a great combination that help increase testosterone. The best exercises to increase testosterone are the ones that utilize the body’s largest muscle groups. These exercises recruit a significant amount of muscle mass and studies show that this is the way to increase testosterone. Additionally, these exercises increase muscle mass which increases testosterone levels. To maximize levels, start with the big lifts and ideally do a total body workout three days per week. In between sets, add HiIT routines such as jump squats, jumping jacks, jogging in place and burpees.